The Accra Central Divisional Police Command says it would not spare any effort to reduce the crime rate in its jurisdiction to the barest minimum. The Divisional Commander, Chief Superintendent Joseph Oklu Gyamera, who stated this at a get- together for police personnel, said the division recorded 11,206 cases in 2010 as against 11,781 recorded in 2009, a reduction of 575 cases. Of the figure, he said, assault and stealing constituted 74 per cent for the two years under review. He said, in 2010 four robbery cases were recorded as against 16 in 2009 a reduction of 75 per cent, adding that some of the criminals had been put before court and convicted. "The division did not relent in its effort to clamp down on crime to its lowest. We adopted a number of strategies including effective day and night patrols, snap checks, swoops and an effective intelligence gathering system to achieve this," he said. The strategies, Mr. Gyamera indicated were preventive in nature. Chief Superintendent Gyamera said the division also embarked on series of educational programmes to sensitise the public on crime tips and other precautionary measures. He said the public was also educated on current trends and contemporary modus operandi adopted by criminals and measures to counter the activities of criminals. He said the several interactive fora were also held with drivers and transport unions within the division to educate them on defensive driving to curb the spate of road accidents on the roads. Mr. Gyamera said the division could have done better if it had all the needed logistics, but said it was determined to fight organised crime and commended a number of organisations and financial institutions for their support. The Regional Police Commander, Rose Bio Atinga, commended the personnel for their zealousness to fight organised crime and urged them not to relent in their efforts. Deserving personnel were awarded. Source: The Ghanaian Times